Treble piano action for accordions



Nm r. 5, 1940. c. LINDEBERG TREBLE PIANO ACTION FOR ACCORDIONS Filed Dec. 10, 1958 5 R a/ O E m I m E 2.0 fit V M T 51 m a f w l 1% w o Y I E n H w .v v 5 mm z m I E L w I 6 V u 0 i W T 4 U m M 4 m 0 w M m H U m n wvommavvuvfamm Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE dolph Wurlitzer Com corporation pany, Cincinnati, Ohio, a

Application December 10, 1938, Serial No. 244,950

10 Claims.

This invention relates to the treble action for piano accordions, and particularly in respect to the operative connections between the piano keys and valves controlled thereby.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide a key bed of a piano accordion with a series of natural and sharp keys, each of which controls an individual valve, the finger wires of said valves being directly connected with the respective keys.

With this construction difficulty has been experienced in properly seating the valves while at the same time maintaining the key level.

I It is the object of this invention to provide an intermediate operative structure between the 15 finger wires of the valves and their respective keys to enable ready adjustment of the valves and leveling of the keys. The construction as herein disclosed enables the keys to be leveled independently of the regulation of the valves, whereby the valves may be properly seated without reference to the key level, and, on the other hand, the keys can be properly leveled by simple adjustment without reference to the seating of the valves.

25 Another feature of the invention resides in the mounting of the individual springs interposed between the keys and valves for normally maintaining the valves in closed position. Whereas, heretofore the structure has been such that the so valve closing springs braced directly against the key and the front rail of the key bed, resulting in undue pressure against the front rail, frequently causing sagging or warping thereof, it is the purpose of this invention to relieve such pressure 35 against the front rail of the key bed by so mounting the valve control springs that they will bear against interposed and independently supported elements of the structure.

The full nature of the invention willbe under- 40 stood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the treble box and key board with the gallery removed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion thereof 45 with parts broken away.

In the drawing there is illustrated a treble box If) having a'valve plate H mounted over the upper side thereof, said valve plate carrying the reed boxes i2 depending from the under side thereof in the usual manner. Positioned above the valve plate and adapted to seat thereon in the usual manner there is a plurality of valves l3 actuated by the finger wires 24.

Secured and supported by the treble box and extending at an: angle therefrom, there is a key bed including a front rail l5 and a balance rail l6. Fulcrumed upon the balance rail there is a plurality of piano keys, such as the natural key I! and the sharp key 18. The action of said keys is guided by the front rail guide pins l9 mounted '5 upon the front rail l5, as is the usual construction. Said keys are 'fulcruined upon the balance rail I5 by the balance rail pins 20. Each key is provided with a stop screw 2! having a hook por- Y tion extending under the balance rail so as to en- 10 gage the underside thereof and limit the normal position or level of the keys. Also provided for each key, there is a touch spring 21a controlling the action of the individual keys.

Extending longitudinally across the key bed adjacent the rear end of the keys there is a flange rod 22 supported on the end of the box In by a series of brackets 23. Pivotally supported upon the flange rod there is a plurality of finger wire flanges 24, one for each key, to which are secured the finger wires [4 in the same manner as they have heretofore been directly secured to the innor ends of the keys. Said finger wire flange is pivotally mounted on the rod through the medium of a slot forming a pair of jaws which en- 25 gage opposite sides of the rod and through which there extends a screw 25 for drawing the jaws into pivotal engagement with said rod. The brackets 23 are supported in spaced relation upon the spring rail 26, which in turn is carried at its en'ds upon the end walls of the box l0.

Interposed between the spring rail 26 and each of the individual finger wire flanges 24, there is a bowed valve spring 21 having one arm bearing 7 upon the finger wire flange with a free end secured thereto, while the other arm and free end thereof is locked to the spring rail 26. Thus, through the medium of the individual valve springs 21, the respective valves l3 are retained in seated position under spring tension through the 0 medium of the spring action between the spring rail and finger wire flange.

The inner ends of the keys I! and i8 are re duced, as indicated at 28, so as to extend substantially parallel to and under their respective finger wire flanges, and spaced therefrom. Adjacent the inner free end of the reduced portion of each key there is provided a capstan screw 29 having a square tool engaging exposed end, and its head extending into engagement with the underside of its finger wire flange near the opposite end thereof from the pivotal mounting of the flange upon the rod 22. Thus, when a key is depressed, the capstan screw forces the flange forwardly about its pivotal mounting against the tension of the spring 21, which movement of the flange raises its valve l3 through its finger wire 14. In alignment with each capstan screw 29 there is provided an aperture 36 in the key bed supporting board 3! through which a tool may be admitted for a convenient adjustment of the capstan screw.

From the above described construction the valves may be perfectly seated and the finger wires regulated without reference to the key level,

whereas the keys may be leveled independently thereof by adjusting the capstan screws through the apertures 30, and as usual building up or reducing the felt punchings 32 under the balance rail pin. Also, instead of the valve spring 21 bearing directly against the key and the front rail of the key bed, it bears only against the flange 24 and the spring rail 26 mounted on the supporting box 10. This relieves all pressure upon the front rail of the key bed, which, under such tension, has frequently sagged or warped. Whenever it is desired to remove an individual key, it is only necessary to turn its respective stop screw 2| sideways for disengagement with the balance rail, whereupon the key may be lifted and slid out of position.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a finger wire flange engageable by each key and secured to its corresponding finger wire for transmitting movement therebetween, and means on the accordion for pivotally supporting said flanges to permit of a rocking action in transmitting said movement between said keys and finger wires.

2. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, pivotally mounted members operably connected with said finger wires and positioned to be engaged and actuated by said keys respectively, and means associated with each of said keys engageable with said balance rail for limiting its inoperative position with respect thereto for maintaining said keys at a predetermined level.

3. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a treble box, a key bed supported by said box and having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a flange rod supported on said box, a plurality of finger wire flanges pivotally mounted on said rod to each of which a finger wire is directly connected, and an adjustable capstan screw mounted on each of said keys in position to engage the corresponding finger wire flange remote from its pivotal mounting whereby the depression of each key about its fulcrum will swing said flange about its pivotal mounting for raising its corresponding valve.

4. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a'plurality of control valves having individual finger Wires associated therewith, a treble box, a key bed supported by said box and having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a flange rod supported on said box, a plurality of finger wire flanges pivotally mounted on said rod to each of which a finger wire is directly connected, an adjustable capstan screw mounted on each of said keys in position to engage the corresponding finger wire flange remote from its pivotal mounting whereby the depression of each key about its fulcrum will swing said flange about its pivotal mounting for raising its corresponding valve, and a spring on said treble box engaging said flange for normally maintaining the corresponding valve and key in inoperative position.

5. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a treble box,

' a key bed supported by said box and having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a spring rail flange rod supported on said box, a plurality of finger wire flanges pivotally mounted on said rod to each of which a finger wire is directly connected, an adjustable capstan screw mounted adjacent the end of each of said keys in position to engage the corresponding finger wire flange remote from its pivotal mounting whereby the depression of eachkey about its fulcrum will swing said flange about its pivotal mounting for raising its corresponding valve, and a valve spring engaged between said flange and spring rail for normally maintaining its corresponding valve and key in inoperative position under spring tension.

6. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail and a front rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said balance rail, an intermediate member connected with each finger wire and engageable by-one of said keys for swinging it about its pivotal mounting to valve opening position when said key is actuated, a valve spring carried by each of said members for maintaining its corresponding valve and key in seated and inoperative position respectively, and a spring secured between each key and said front rail for controlling the touch thereof.

'7. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a pivotally mounted member operably connected with each finger wire. and adjustable means carried by each key for engaging its respective member to transmit movement therethrough to its corresponding finger wire and valve.

8. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail, individual keys fulcrumed on said rail, a finger wire flange interposed between each key and its corresponding finger wire, and means on said accordion for pivotally supporting said flange, said flange being operably connected with said finger wire and engageable by said key for transmitting movement therebetween when said key is actuated.

9. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual rail, and a valve spring interposed between and secured to said rail and flange for yieldingly maintaining said flange in position to normally seat its valve and maintain its corresponding key in elevated inoperative position.

10. In a piano accordion, a treble action including a plurality of control valves having individual finger wires associated therewith, a key bed having a balance rail, individual keys ful- 10 crumed on said rail, and a key stop screw movably mounted on the underside of each key extending adjacent said balance rail, said screw being provided with a latching head movable into and out of engagement with said balance rail to permit removal of said key when said head is turned to one position and limit its inoperative position by engagement with the balance rail when turned to the other position.

CARL LINDEBERG. 

